The problem of fuel spill leakage has assumed greater importance in our society today, what with the increasing utilization of gasoline driven motors and the advent of increasingly stringent pollution regulations. This problem is increasingly found in situations related to travel by motor vehicles upon the highway, and most particularly is seen in the trucking industry. Trucks are particularly vulnerable to fuel leakages since they both carry an extremely large amount of fuel, travel very great distances at increasingly frequent intervals and are exposed to a wide variety of driving conditions. A particular problem which has arisen in the trucking industry in recent years is the breaking off or severing of a conduit which connects the two fuel tanks or saddle tanks as they are known, and enables the two tanks to be drained equally as the truck burns fuel during operation. However, such a conduit is extremely vulnerable due to its position and the strains exerted upon it and can become broken or seriously damaged in an accident, as well as being struck by a projectile on the road. After such an occurrence, the driver may frequently drive an extended length of time before realizing anything wrong has occurred, during which a substantial amount of fuel may be spilled or otherwise lost. Additionally, even if the driver is aware of the accident, it is still very difficult to prevent the spillage of a substantial amount of fuel on the highway or the like. Accordingly, there exists a need for a reliable, inexpensive and easily adaptable arrangement to fit on currently utilized truck fuel connecting systems, and such a valving mechanism can also be utilized in a variety of other fluid connecting arts.
The prior art has developed a number of valving systems which are designed to minimize the leakage occurring from a break in a variety of different fluid conducting systems. However, to date there has not been developed a suitable arrangement for use in the trucking or motor vehicle related arts.
U.S. Pat. No. 377,313 to Laumann discloses an early device for preventing the escape of steam and water from a boiler when the devices controlling their outlet are either removed or broken off. The structure utilizes a separate valve with a rod which holds another valve away from its valve seat. When the initial rod is broken, a spring pushes the valve closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,852 discloses a combination safety and service valve which includes a body having a sealing portion for closing an opening in a high pressure tank in an external portion. When the sealing portion closes the tank opening it is positioned externally of the tank and utilizes a ball chamber and its flow passage in a spherical ball loosely received in the chamber for preventing the escape of the contents of the tank if the external portion were to separate from the sealing portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 310,490 to Atwood et al. discloses a valve which is directly connected to a steam boiler by having a part thereof pass through the shell of the boiler, with the object of the apparatus being to provide gauge cocks and valves which are adapted for connecting with a boiler in a manner in which the valve closing parts are within the boiler and are open against the pressure exerted by the steam. The valve closing parts are adapted to prevent the dangerous escape of steam into the cab of a locomotive when, due to accident, the projecting part of the gauge cock and valve spindle are broken off.
U.S. Pat. No. 409,217 discloses a safety valve attachment for gauge cocks which consists of an auxiliary valve attachment to the main valve, operating in conjunction with the main valve but which operates independently during an emergency so as to provide an automatic and independent means of closing the opening into a boiler in case the cock should become broken and steam or water be allowed to escape.
Although there are a variety of emergency valve structures adapted for closing a conduit in case of breakage, there still exists a need for the utilization of an economic and reliable valve which is adaptable to existing machinery in the trucking art. Additionally, there is an additional need to manufacture a device so that it will fracture only in a predetermined section, so that the valving arrangement can be effectively operated in the event of an accident, i.e., upon fracture, it breaks in a manner that enables the emergency valving arrangement to be effectively activated.